JP2006031479A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To insert a plurality of sheets of slip paper into a position. <P>SOLUTION: When performing print setting, a printer driver provided to a client PC displays a print setting dialogue 60. In the print setting dialogue, as a print option, setting of a book covering/slip paper insertion is made possible. When a book covering/ slip paper insertion button 64 is operated, a book covering/slip paper insertion setting dialogue 66 is displayed. In the book covering/slip paper insertion setting dialogue, as the insertion position of the slip paper, an identical position can be specified for a plurality of sheets of slip paper. Thus, when inserting the slip paper in an image forming apparatus and inserting the slip paper into every designated position, and when the plurality of sheets of slip paper are specified for the identical position, the designated number of sheets of slip paper are inserted successively by executing slip paper insertion on the basis of the respective specifications. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms and outputs an image corresponding to image data on a sheet. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a slip sheet function for inserting slip sheets to be discharged without forming an image between sheets on which an image is formed.

  In an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile, or a multifunction machine having these functions, a sheet stored in a sheet feeding tray is taken out, and an image is formed on the sheet and output. Further, in the image forming apparatus, when images are continuously formed on a large amount of sheets, the sheets on which the images are formed are stacked and stacked on the discharge tray.

  In such an image forming apparatus, it is possible to form an image on OHP (Over Head Projector) paper in addition to various paper qualities such as plain paper, high-quality paper, and recycled paper.

  By the way, when a large number of OHP sheets each having an image formed thereon are stacked on the discharge tray, there is a problem that the OHP sheets are stuck to each other. From this point, some image forming apparatuses are provided with a slip sheet function for inserting and stacking blank sheets as slip sheets between sheets on which images are formed.

  When the OHP sheets are stacked, by inserting the slip sheets between the OHP sheets and stacking, the OHPs do not come into contact with each other, so that sticking can be prevented.

  On the other hand, various printing processes using a slip sheet function provided in such an image forming apparatus have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, and Patent Document 3).

  Among them, in Patent Document 1, when printing processing on OHP paper is designated, OHP paper and interleaving paper are output alternately, and a predetermined number of images formed on OHP paper on plain paper separately from OHP paper. It prints out one by one.

  Further, Patent Document 3 proposes an intersheet function for designating a page to insert a separator sheet and inserting the separator sheet into the corresponding page of the recording paper based on the set value of the inserted page.

In recent years, for example, there has been an increasing demand to continuously insert pages created by other printers such as the introductory color and table of contents. Since only one sheet is inserted into the designated place, it is difficult to insert a plurality of sheets continuously using the interleaf function.
Japanese Patent No. 2681411 Japanese Patent No. 2941386 Japanese Patent No. 2543714

  The present invention has been made in view of the above facts, and when inserting another sheet as a slip sheet between sheets on which an image is formed using the slip sheet function, a plurality of slip sheets are continuously arranged. An object is to propose an image forming apparatus which can be inserted.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a slip sheet function that allows a predetermined sheet to be inserted as a slip sheet between sheets on which an image is formed when print processing for forming and outputting an image on a sheet is executed. An insertion position of the slip sheet, a setting unit capable of designating insertion of a plurality of slip sheets at each of the insertion positions, and an insertion position designated by the setting unit, Interleaf processing means for inserting the specified number of interleaf sheets.

  According to this invention, when the insertion position of the slip sheet is designated, the printing process is executed while inserting the slip sheet at the designated position. Further, the setting means for designating the insertion position of the slip sheet can designate not only the insertion of the slip sheet but also the number of sheets to be inserted at each of the insertion positions. The slip sheet processing is executed so as to be inserted.

  Thus, not only one sheet but also a plurality of slip sheets are inserted between sheets on which images are formed.

  In the present invention, the setting means is provided in the image processing terminal when executing a printing process based on a print job input from the image processing terminal.

  According to the present invention, the setting means is provided in the image processing terminal as a printer driver, for example, so that the insertion of the slip sheet, the insertion position, and the number of inserted sheets can be designated when setting the printing function.

  As a result, it is possible to insert an arbitrary number of slip sheets at an arbitrary position with print settings from the image processing terminal.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when inserting slip sheets between print pages, the number of inserted sheets can be specified together with the insertion position of the slip sheets, and insertion of a plurality of slip sheets can be specified. Accordingly, the insertion of the slip sheet based on the designation is executed. Thereby, the outstanding effect that the effective and efficient printing process using a slip sheet function is attained is acquired.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 applied to the present embodiment. As the image forming apparatus, a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, or a multifunction machine having these functions can be applied. Hereinafter, a printer having these basic functions will be described as an example.

  The image forming apparatus 10 includes a paper feeding unit 14 on which a paper 12 used for image formation is loaded, and an image forming unit 16 that forms an image on the paper 12 by an electrophotographic process. Further, the image forming apparatus 10 is formed with a conveyance path for conveying the paper 12 from the paper supply unit 14 to the discharge tray 18 through the image forming unit 16.

  The image forming unit 16 includes a developing module 22 provided with a photosensitive drum 20, an exposure unit (not shown) such as a ROS (Raster Optical Scanner) using a laser beam or the like.

  In the developing module 22, the surface of the photosensitive drum 20 is uniformly charged using a charger or the like, and then exposed by scanning with a laser beam according to image data, thereby exposing the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 20. Form. The developing module 22 forms a toner image (for example, a black (K) toner image) according to the image data by performing toner development on the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 20.

  The image forming unit 16 is provided with a transfer belt 24 facing the photoconductive drum 20, and the paper 12 is supplied (paper fed) to a transfer position between the photoconductive drum 20 and the transfer belt 24. At this time, in the image forming unit 16, the paper 12 is sandwiched between the photosensitive drum 20 and the transfer belt 24 while the toner images formed on the photosensitive drum 20 are overlapped with each other. As a result, the image forming unit 16 sends out the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 20 while transferring it to the paper 12.

  In this embodiment, for example, a single-color image using black (K) toner is formed as the image forming unit 16, but a color image can be formed as the image forming unit 16. It may be a thing.

  At this time, in addition to K color, Y (yellow), M (magenta), and C (cyan) color development modules are used, and RIP processing is performed on image data (color image data) input for printing. , M, C, and K color component data (raster data) is generated, and each raster data is used to scan and expose the photosensitive drum of each color, and toner of each color of Y, M, C, and K is supplied. Any toner image may be used as long as the toner image formed by toner development is transferred while superimposing the toner image on the paper 12 to form a full-color toner image on the paper 12.

  The image forming unit 16 is provided with a fixing module (fixing device) 26. The fixing module 26 includes a fixing roller 28 heated to a predetermined temperature by a heater (not shown). In the fixing module 26, the paper 12 on which the toner image is transferred is heated while being pressed by being pinched by the fixing roller 28. As a result, the toner (toner image) is melted and fixed on the paper 12, and an image corresponding to the image data is formed on the paper 12.

  The paper feed unit 14 is provided with a plurality of paper feed trays 30 that can accommodate a plurality of sheets 12 stacked on each other. In the present embodiment, there are provided paper feed trays 30A and 30B that accommodate a relatively small size paper 12, and paper feed trays 30C and 30D that can accommodate a relatively large size paper 12 (hereinafter referred to as “sheet feed trays 30C and 30D”). , Collectively referred to as a paper feed tray 30).

  In the image forming apparatus 10, the paper 12 taken out from the paper feed tray 30 is conveyed to the transfer position of the image forming unit 16. As a result, the image is transferred onto the paper 12, and thereafter, the paper 12 on which the image has been formed by the fixing process is conveyed to the paper discharge tray 18 and sequentially stacked on the paper discharge tray 18.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 10 is provided with a manual feed tray 32, and an image can be formed on the paper 12 inserted from the manual feed tray 32. Note that the image forming apparatus 10 can be connected to a paper feeding device that accommodates some paper 12 and can output a large number of papers 12 continuously, and the paper supplied from the paper feeding device. Image formation to 12 is also possible.

  Further, in the image forming apparatus 10, the paper 12 taken out from the paper feed tray 30 can be idle-fed to be discharged onto the paper discharge tray 18 without forming an image. 12 and the paper 12 on which an image is not formed can be sequentially discharged onto the paper discharge tray 18 and stacked.

  On the other hand, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a microcomputer in which a CPU, a ROM, a ROM, and the like are connected by a bus, and various types of hardware (not shown) are connected to the microcomputer.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a print function setting unit 40, an image processing unit 42, and a print controller 44, and the paper feeding unit 14 and the image forming unit 18 perform print output. As a part, the operation is controlled by the print controller 44.

  In addition, the image forming apparatus 10 is provided with a network interface (network I / F) 46, and an image processing terminal (hereinafter referred to as a client PC 48) such as a personal computer or a workstation via the network I / F 46. ).

  As a result, the image forming apparatus 10 receives the print job from the client PC 48 and executes print processing based on the input print job.

  That is, the print function setting unit 40 interprets a print function command from the print job and sets the print function specified in the print job.

  The image processing unit 42 executes image processing and RIP processing based on the setting of the printing function, and the print controller 44 executes the paper feeding unit 14 and the image based on the set printing function and raster data generated by the RIP processing. The operation of the forming unit 16 is controlled to form and output an image corresponding to the image data on the paper 12.

  On the other hand, in the client PC 48, various printing functions can be designated when performing printing processing using the application software (application 50) that generates image data to be printed, such as page layouts and documents, and the image forming apparatus 10. A network interface (network I / F 54) is provided together with the printer driver 52 (driver software), and is connected to the image forming apparatus 10 via the network I / F 54.

  Thus, the client PC 48 can output the image data created by the application 50 to the image forming apparatus 10 as a print job.

  As such an image forming apparatus 10, a conventionally known general configuration can be applied, and detailed description thereof is omitted in the present embodiment.

  By the way, in the image forming apparatus 10, a sheet 12 on which an image is not formed (hereinafter referred to as “interleaf 12B”) is inserted between sheets 12 on which an image is formed (hereinafter referred to as “sheet 12A”). A slip-sheet function is provided.

  In the print controller 44, an interleaf processing unit 56 is formed. When the print function setting unit 40 interprets a command and the interleaf function is designated, the interleaf sheet 12B is inserted. Store in the paper processing unit 56. In the print controller 44, when the slip sheet function is set, the operations of the sheet feeding unit 14 and the image forming unit 16 are controlled so that the slip sheet 12B overlaps the sheet 12A of the corresponding page. As the interleaf paper 12B, paper 12 of any paper quality and paper type such as colored paper or paper 12 on which a predetermined image is printed in advance can be used.

  On the other hand, the printer driver 52 provided in the client PC 48 is provided with a UI for setting a slip sheet, and it is possible to set a slip sheet function using this UI.

  FIG. 3A schematically shows a print setting dialog 60 as an example of a print setting UI stored in the client PC 48. The print setting dialog 60 includes a basic setting tab 60A, a tray / discharge 60B, a graphics tab 60C, a stamp / form tab 60D, and a detailed setting tab 60E. In the printer driver 52, the slip sheet 12B is displayed on the tray / discharge tab 60B. In FIG. 3A, the tray / discharge tab 60B is opened.

  In this tray / discharge tab 60B, it is possible to set a paper discharge method for selecting a paper tray (paper feed tray 30) for forming an image and a paper discharge tray 18.

  When the image forming apparatus 10 is connected to a post-processing apparatus having functions such as stapling, punching, and paper folding, the post-processing apparatus can specify processing.

  Further, the tray / discharge tab 60B allows manual setting using the manual feed tray 32 and specification of the type of the paper 12 when the paper feed tray 30 is automatically selected. Designation and cover / interleaf settings are possible.

  Here, when the slip sheet function is designated, the OHP slip sheet button 62 or the cover / slip sheet button 64 is operated (click operation). At this time, by selecting OHP paper as the type of paper 12, the OHP interleaf button 62 can be operated, and by operating the OHP interleaf button 62, it is set as interleaf 12B between the OHP paper. The paper 12 being stacked is set to be discharged in a superimposed manner.

  That is, the image forming apparatus 10 outputs the OHP paper on which the image is formed and the interleaf paper 12B on which the image is not formed so as to be alternately stacked.

  On the other hand, in the printer driver 52, when the cover / insert sheet button 64 is operated, the sheet 12 set as the interleaf sheet 12B is inserted into an arbitrary page as an optional print option and output. It can be set as follows.

  FIG. 3B shows an example of a cover / interleaf attachment setting dialog 66 displayed when the cover / interleaf button 64 is operated.

  In the cover / attachment setting dialog 66, whether or not “front cover” is added before the first print page or “back cover” is added after the last page as a special process of the interleaf function. Can be selected, and for the front cover, it is possible to select whether or not to print the front cover as the first page. Further, when attaching the front cover and the back cover, it is possible to specify the paper feed tray 30 that stores the paper 12 used as the front cover and the back cover.

  Further, in the cover sheet / interleaf attachment setting dialog 66, it is possible to select whether or not to attach an interleaf. By selecting interleaf, the position of the interleaf 12B and the paper to be used as the interleaf 12B are selected. 12 can be selected.

  Here, by selecting the slip sheet attachment (marking the check box 68), it is possible to select the paper feed tray 30 that stores the paper 12 used as the slip sheet 12B and the page to which the slip sheet 12B is attached. In the cover / interleaf attachment setting dialog 66, it is possible to set whether or not the sheet 12 of the paper 12 used as the interleaf 12B is tab paper.

  The printer driver 52 designates whether or not to attach the slip sheet 12B before the page on the basis of the page number of the page to be printed. When the slip sheet 12B is attached, the slip sheet 12B is attached. Enter the page number of the next page. That is, when inserting (attaching) the slip sheet 12B between the first page and the second page, “second page (2)” is described.

  In addition, the printer driver 52 provided for the image forming apparatus 10 can designate a plurality of the same pages, whereby the designated number of slip sheets 12B are continuously inserted. ing. For example, by inputting “1, 1”, it is set to insert two interleaf sheets 12B before the first sheet of paper 12 (paper 12A).

  Note that FIG. 3B shows a state in which two slip sheets 12B are set to be inserted in front of the first page and the fifth page, respectively. In the cover / interleaf attachment setting dialog 66 applied as the setting means applied to the present embodiment, the page number before inserting the interleaf 12B is input. It is also possible to input the next page number to insert.

  When the printer driver 52 designates a print function including slip sheet attachment (slip sheet function), the printer driver 52 adds a command corresponding to the designated print function to the print job. In the image forming apparatus 10, the print function setting unit 40 interprets this command so that the print function based on the designation is executed.

  Between the image forming apparatus 10 configured as described above and the client PC 48, for example, when printing a document or the like created using the application 50 on the client PC 48, print settings are set using the printer driver 52. And send it to the image forming apparatus 10 as a print job.

  When the image forming apparatus 10 receives the print job, it interprets the command added to the print job, and sets the print function based on the print setting designation. Thereafter, image processing and RIP processing are sequentially performed on the image data of each page according to the setting of the print function.

  At the same time, the image forming apparatus 10 selects the paper feed tray 30 from which the paper 12 on which an image is to be formed is selected based on the setting of the print function, takes out the paper 12 from the selected paper feed tray 30, and converts it into raster data. By executing the scanning exposure of the photosensitive drum 20 based on the image, images are sequentially formed on the paper 12 and accumulated on the discharge tray 18.

  By the way, the image forming apparatus 10 is provided with a slip sheet function (slip sheet attachment) as a print function. When the slip sheet attachment is designated on the client PC 48, print processing is performed based on the slip sheet attachment setting. The inserted slip sheet 12B is inserted, that is, a slip sheet function is executed.

  Here, FIG. 4 shows an example of a slip sheet insertion process executed when slip sheet attachment is set. This flowchart is executed when a slip sheet function (slip sheet attachment) is designated in the received print job. In the first step 100, the slip sheet is inserted at the insertion position of the slip sheet and the respective insertion positions based on the setting. The number of sheets 12B is read. In the next step 102, the page number n is initialized. That is, the page number n is set to 1 (n = 1).

  Thereafter, in step 104, it is confirmed whether or not there is an insertion specification of the slip sheet 12B before the nth page.

  If the insertion of the slip sheet 12B is designated before the first page, an affirmative decision is made in step 104 and the routine proceeds to step 106. In step 106, the number of slip sheets 12B to be inserted is set. At this time, if “1, 1” is designated on the cover / interleaf attachment setting dialog 66, the number of inserted slip sheets 12B is set to two.

  In the next step 108, it is confirmed whether or not the (n-1) th page of paper 12 before inserting the slip sheet 12B has been taken out of the paper feed tray 30, and the paper 12 of the previous page is taken out. In step 108, an affirmative determination is made so that the set number of slip sheets 12B is then taken out. That is, the slip sheet 12B is taken out at the next paper take-out timing.

  Thereafter, in step 112, it is confirmed whether or not there is a next page, that is, whether or not the last page of the print job has been executed. Otherwise, an affirmative determination is made at step 112 and the routine proceeds to step 114 where n is set to the next page (n = + 1) and the routine returns to step 104.

  At this time, if the insertion of the slip sheet 12 is not set before the nth page, a negative determination is made in step 104, the process proceeds to step 112, and the process for the next page is executed.

  By performing the insertion processing of the slip sheet 12 in this way, for example, when it is designated to insert two slip sheets 12B before the first page, as shown in FIG. First, the two interleaf sheets 12B are taken out from the designated paper feed tray 30 and discharged.

  Thereafter, the printing process for the first page is executed, and as shown in FIG. 5B, the first sheet of paper 12A is discharged over the two sheets of interleaf paper 12B.

  Next, if it is specified to insert two sheets of slip paper 12B before the fifth page, as shown in FIG. 5C, after the sheet 12A up to the fourth page is discharged, As shown in FIG. 5D, two sheets of interleaving paper 12B are discharged over the paper 12A for the fourth page.

  On the other hand, in the flowchart of FIG. 4, when the page number n reaches the last page of the print job, a negative determination is made in step 112 and the process proceeds to step 114. In this step 114, it is confirmed whether or not the slip sheet 12B is designated to be inserted before the next page ((n + 1) th page) after the last page. That is, if it is not set to insert the slip sheet 12B after the last page, a negative determination is made in step 116 and the process is terminated.

  As a result, in the case of a print job for seven pages, as shown in FIG. 5E, the sheets 12A of the fifth to seventh pages are superimposed on the two sheets of interleaf 12B before the fifth page. Collected.

  When insertion of the slip sheet 12B is designated, an affirmative determination is made in step 116 of the flowchart of FIG. 4 and the process proceeds to step 118, the number of inserted slip sheets 12B is set, and the last page (nth page) is set. When the paper 12 (paper 12A) is taken out, an affirmative determination is made at step 120 and the routine proceeds to step 122, where the set number of slip sheets 12B are taken out.

  As described above, in the image forming apparatus 10, when the position for inserting the slip sheet 12B is designated, the slip sheet 12B is inserted at that position and stacked together with the sheet 12A on which an image corresponding to the print job is formed.

  Further, in the image forming apparatus 10, when the insertion of a plurality of slip sheets 12B is designated at the same position, the designated number of slip sheets 12B can be continuously sent out and accumulated.

  As a result, for example, even when there is a table of contents or illustrations over a plurality of pages as the slip sheet 12B, the specified number of table of contents or illustrations can be accurately inserted, and printing processing using the slip sheet function can be performed. Significant expansion is possible.

  The present embodiment described above shows an example of the present invention and does not limit the configuration of the present invention.

  For example, in the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 10 that executes print processing based on a print job mainly input from the client PC 48 is described as an example of the image forming apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and copying is performed. A machine or a multifunction machine can be applied. This makes it possible to insert a designated number of slip sheets 12B between designated pages in a document when copying a document over many pages.

  The present invention is not limited to these, and can be applied to an image forming apparatus having an arbitrary configuration having a slip sheet function.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus applied to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an outline of functions of an image forming apparatus and a client PC. (A) is a schematic diagram showing an example of a UI used for print setting in a client PC, and (B) is a schematic diagram showing an example of a UI used for slip sheet setting. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of slip sheet processing based on print settings of a printer driver. (A) to (E) are schematic views showing a stacking state of sheets and slip sheets when a print job is executed while inserting slip sheets based on settings in that order.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image forming apparatus 12 Paper 12B Interleaving paper 14 Paper feed part 16 Image forming part 18 Paper discharge tray 30 (30A-30D) Paper feed tray 40 Print function setting part 42 Image processing part 44 Print controller 48 Client PC
52 Printer Driver 56 Interleaf Processing Unit 60 Print Setting Dialog 66 Cover / Interleaf Setting Dialog

Claims (2)

An image forming apparatus having a slip sheet function that allows a predetermined sheet to be inserted as a slip sheet between sheets on which an image is formed when a print process for forming and outputting an image on a sheet is executed.
A setting unit that can designate insertion of a plurality of slip sheets at each of the insertion positions together with the insert position of the slip sheet,
A slip sheet processing means for inserting the specified number of slip sheets at the insertion position specified by the setting means;
An image forming apparatus comprising:   An image forming apparatus, wherein the setting unit is provided in the image processing terminal when executing a printing process based on a print job input from the image processing terminal.

Images